Chief Commander in Arms Aminta had order a patrol after the night�s festival. It was argued that his response was too slow in dealing with the festival and his desire for the execution too fast. There was no time to question Regent Heir Ewald of the possibility of rebellion and possible chain of command. There were many rumors spreading about the King�s favoritism. The new inhabitants of the Chief Commander in Arms� home being his the king�s third wife�s daughter and the king�s second wife�s daughter was not improving the rumors any at all.
Cahira stared longingly out the greased paper window of her parent�s bar. She could see the haze of the outline of the trees surrounding the above ground bar. She could make nothing out clearly in the mess that served to let in a smear of light. It had been a very long time since she had to work at her parent�s bar. Since Ailis� rape when she carried out the garbage to the fertilizer heap at the base of the oak that held the bar in its branches. How long ago? Her parents thought it would be more dangerous to let her stay at home in the current atmosphere. She had wanted to go to the execution, for surely someone would be planning some sort of rescue of the Regent Heir. She wanted to be there to help. If not, she wanted to be there for support, to see the death of hope.
�Can I trouble you, lady-wench, for another ale,� came Connor�s voice.
Cahira turned towards him. She gestured to her serving pitcher. �I think its warm,� she said apologetically.
He smiled and laughed softly to himself. �What is playing behind those big brown eyes of yours?� he asked.
�Is there something?� she whispered quickly.
Connor shook his head angrily. �Nothing. No time to organize. No one is out of hiding. Everyone is licking his or her wounds,� he answered.
�Then what? Is it the end? Is the Old Ways dead?� she demanded.
He looked around curious to see if anyone heard her. No one lifted an eye to the two of them. �You speak of the Old Ways like you were born to experience them? Bloody hell, I was only a little thing then barely a handful of seasons,� he answered her. �It is a part of my history,� she said defensively.
He laughed softly. �Yes, it is all of our history. The Second Rebellion existed when you were a child and silly little patriotic notions got planted in little children�s heads. You watched from your loft while your parents plotted the One God�s downfall and watched as they wheeled loved ones back to the home covered in blood smelling of death from victory less battles,� he said.
�Not me. Never me. My parents have been the One God�s sheep,� she hissed. �Have they? Then how do you know of the Many Gods? Of the leather? Your parents may not be rabble-rouser they are too smart for that and smart people are what rebellions need. Right now, more then one soldier is laughing and joking over strong ale with your father letting secrets fall like the spittle drizzle on his drunken chin. Your father smiles and nods laughs when expected all while he decides whether the information is worth the pain in the jaw fake smiling causes. Intelligence, love. That is what we need. A sword arm will take a rebellion only too far,� he said.
Cahira digested this information unsure of whether she was angry or excited. Her parents? The same ones who hid the Many Gods in their root cellar beneath their bar, her parents? She stared at him as if he had just outright lied to her. �What does this all mean?� she asked.
�Patience. You and your friends will one day fight for the Many Gods. Free the Regent Alastrina. Whatever. That day is not today, and not any day soon,� he said.
�But today� Ewald dies. The last hope will perish,� she whispered as she placed her hands heavily on the table leaning her weight on them.
He looked at her shaking hands. Connor looked up at her face. �He is not the hope. He isn�t even the Regent�s brother. The hope is inside and that will not be executed today,� he said.
�He isn�t..� she started.
�Ewald is a distant cousin to the Regent, a second cousin of the Regent�s father. He wasn�t young enough to be her younger brother. Besides people have passed the Trail and the sages have no record of Ewald,� he said.
�No. You most be trying to make me feel better,� she said clenching her palms on the table. �Why would he lie?�
He shrugged. �He needed the power to make people listen. Who would you follow? The Regent�s brother or the Regent�s second cousin by her father. He was twice removed from the female line. He had little more claim then you yourself to the Regent�s Heir,� he said.
Cahira was shaking now. Everything that had burned into her was a lie. All his speeches and promises of the cause to the cause were all lies. Her beliefs were crumbling. Sickness flew behind her eyes.
�Aye, Little girl! No need for tears. Many others were fooled. Besides the words are what mattered not who squeezed him out between her legs, aye?� he asked.
�He dies today,� she said.
�He will live forever this day,� said Connor. He touched his temple softly and then her nose. �Remember that.�
�Cahira!!! Stop wasting my money trying to catch a suitor! These men need their drinks!� yelled her father gruffly. He was a stout man with a rosy red cheeks and green eyes. He was dressed traditionally in a One God�s garb of untraditional colors of a brilliant blueberry blue pants and a scarlet cotton � sleeved shirt.
Cahira blushed a deep red and stammered. Connor winked and laughed. Forced to flee from embarrassment, Cahira slid off towards the bar. Connor shook his head and went to drink from his draft but found his empty. He groaned.
Cahira gave her father an angry look that made him laugh. �Father,� she started. �Don�t start. I need you to pay attention. Tonight a group of very special guests will be coming to the bar and I need your oath on your holy that you will cause no problems and will be a decent host and daughter for once.,� he said sternly.
�Who?� she asked suspiciously.
�The Chief Commander in Arms will be gracing us with his presence tonight, along with his lovely wife, the King�s third wife�s daughter Princess Nerys, and his sister-wife, the King�s second wife�s daughter Xandra, along with many of his high ranking officers,� he said.